Nonfiction Mini Book Reviews: Stamped from the Beginning...

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

Published: March 8th, 2016 by Bold Type Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Antiracism, History

Format: Paperback, 592 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Ibram X. Kendi really lays out the evolution of racist ideas in the United States. He divides the book into five parts and focuses each part on five individuals who were alive during that time, or still alive as in the case of Angela Davis. And his main thesis rests on three categories of ideas and thus those that hold them: segregationists, assimilationists, and antiracists. His other thesis rests on the idea that policies were made such as slavery in order to make money and to hold power and in order to justify these policies racist ideas were sought out and incorporated into the U.S. narrative.

It's a bold book with bold ideas and leaves much to chew on and think over. Sometimes I found the sarcasm and eye-rolling mood of his book a bit off-putting but overall I enjoyed discussing and stewing over it all with my book club. It's a must-read book to gain an understanding of where racist ideas have come from and why America continues to hold them today.

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Published: August 13th, 2019 by One World

Genre: Nonfiction, Antiracism, Memoir

Format: Hardcover, 305 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed Kendi's blend of his journey into his ideas of what it means to hold antiracist ideas and how that also crosses into all other aspects of social justice and intersectionality. Each chapter focuses on these ideas and how he learned about each and those that helped him along the way. He includes his own racist ideas that he grew up with and how he unlearned these ideas and how we can too.

A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader edited by Maria Popova

Published: December 14th, 2018 by Enchanted Lion Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Essays, Young Adult

Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

An excellent collection of letters to young readers from writers around the world. I enjoyed reading these aloud to G and giving him a bit of fire under the belly to read and write more! Also the illustrations that go with each letter are fun and whimsical. A beautiful collection and one I'll turn back to over the coming years.

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac 

Published: October 1st, 2004 by National Geographic Kids

Genre: Nonfiction, History, Juvenile

Format: Paperback, 48 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading this with G over the Thanksgiving break. We learned a lot about what really happened and the myths that still persist in the American psyche. We'd love to visit the live museum. So much to learn.

Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells by Pico Iyer

Published: April 16th, 2019 by Knopf Publishing Group

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature

Format: Kindle, 256 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I loved reading through Iyer's ruminations on living in Japan and his favorite season in Japan, Autumn. Fall is also my favorite time of the year and it was especially beautiful and meaningful when I lived in Japan. While I don't live there like he does I could still feel his love and fascination with Japan. He has truly beautiful insights and way to see with his words. It's the next best thing to actually being there. This is probably one I will revisit every Autumn.

Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha

Published: January 28th, 2020 by Balzer + Bray

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Graphic Novel, Young Adult

Format: Paperback, 240 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Robin Ha's memoir of leaving Korea for America with her mother and without knowing she was permanently moving to America was heart-wrenching! She describes her childhood and how much she loved her neighborhood and her friends and to leave that all behind and not knowing when she would be able to go back was tragic. Her experience trying to fit in in Alabama and not knowing English and being bullied by students and even her own stepsister and stepcousins was also hard to read. But ultimately it's a story of finding your own and making the best of a bad situation. Highly recommended.

She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened After by Bridget Quinn

Published: August 11th, 2020 by Chronicle Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Feminism, History

Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the short history chapters and mini bios of those pioneering women who helped fight for suffrage and those who continue to fight for social justice. Quinn does not paint all as saints. We hear about the racism from the frontrunner White women of the movements. I loved the chapter on Sojourner Truth. I learned that she didn't actually say "Ain't I a woman?" All the art in each chapter was beautiful and interesting. So many great tidbits in each chapter. It's a great starter on women's history in the U.S. with tons of sources to keep reading.

The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas

The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas

Published: May 21st, 2019 by New York University Press

Genre: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism

Format: Hardcover, 340 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Reveals the diversity crisis in children's and young adult media as not only a lack of representation, but a lack of imagination

Stories provide portals into other worlds, both real and imagined. The promise of escape draws people from all backgrounds to speculative fiction, but when people of color seek passageways into the fantastic, the doors are often barred. This problem lies not only with children’s publishing, but also with the television and film executives tasked with adapting these stories into a visual world. When characters of color do appear, they are often marginalized or subjected to violence, reinforcing for audiences that not all lives matter.

The Dark Fantastic is an engaging and provocative exploration of race in popular youth and young adult speculative fiction. Grounded in her experiences as YA novelist, fanfiction writer, and scholar of education, Thomas considers four black girl protagonists from some of the most popular stories of the early 21st century: Bonnie Bennett from the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, Rue from Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, Gwen from the BBC’s Merlin, and Angelina Johnson from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. Analyzing their narratives and audience reactions to them reveals how these characters mirror the violence against black and brown people in our own world.

In response, Thomas uncovers and builds upon a tradition of fantasy and radical imagination in Black feminism and Afrofuturism to reveal new possibilities. Through fanfiction and other modes of counter-storytelling, young people of color have re-envisioned fantastic worlds that reflect their own experiences, their own lives. As Thomas powerfully asserts, “we dark girls deserve more, because we are more.”

My Thoughts:

I was blown away by this in-depth and down-to-earth criticism of the "fantastic" genres that feature Black characters. Her description of the dark fantastic is  "...the role that racial difference plays in our fantastically storied imaginations...the fantastic...includes fantasy fiction but goes beyond it to include all stories-about-worlds-that-never-were, whether they are marketed, shelved, or classified as fairy tales, horror, superhero comics, "soft" science fiction, alternate histories, or otherwise." And she is specifically not talking about Black fantastic. I would say she is dissecting White authors and their worlds which feature Black characters in some way. "...the fact remains that the vast majority of speculative narratives read and viewed in the United States are still written by White authors and screenwriters and consumed by mass audiences."

What Thomas sets out to do is critically analyze Black characters and their voices within these texts. "...shifting focus away from White heroic protagonists and illuminating the imaginary stories of people of color at the margins can reveal much..." Who and what has traditionally been othered? Who are the monsters in these traditionally Anglo tales? Thomas asks what happens to Black readers when all they see is the Others, dark monsters are villains? What happens to readers who are White and never read anything different about who can the hero and who are the villains and monsters? "For many readers, viewers, and fans of color, I suspect that, at the level of consciousness, to participate in the fantastic is to watch yourself be slain--and justificable so, as the story recounts. After all, in fairy tales, it was you who terrorized the hapless villagers, who kidnapped the fair princess, who dared wage war against the dashing hero."

Thomas lays out her theory of how the dark fantastic cycle works and she then uses that theory to critique and analyze characters and their texts from Rue in The Hunger Games, Bonnie Bennett in The Vampire Diaries, Gwen in Merlin, and finally race in the Harry Potter series.

Her analysis of Rue and her role to play for Katniss and the rebellion was brilliant. New insight flooded in from all angles. She continues this insight into each and every one. I never watched The Vampire Diaries or Merlin but reading her analysis was chilling. Knowing how the characters are ultimately tossed aside. 

I remember when The Hunger Games came out and so many people were angry that Rue was cast with a Black actress. They read the story, and even though Collins specifically talks about Rue being a person of color, they could not accept and see in their reading that Rue could be an innocent Black little girl.

I could go on. There are so many aspects to this book. I got it from the library but I need to buy it and reread. I love fantasy and sci-fi and I think this is a critical literary analysis going forward in reading any classic fantasy and reading any present and future fantasy by White authors. How do we subconsciously bring our biases to our worlds in writing?

Thomas' Dark Fantastic theory is one to keep at the forefront as we read anything really but especially in the fantastic genres. While some parts were a bit academic for me overall, I feel it's very readable for non-English majors like me.

Mini Book Reviews: The Year of the Witching...

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Published: July 21st, 2020 by Ace

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Immanuelle shouldn't even exist. Her mother's union with an outsider was considered blasphemy. Her father was killed at the stake before she was born and her mother died giving birth to her. She lives with her grandfather and his three wives and their children. Her religion is one of absolute obedience to the Prophet and disobedience is punished severely. The woods are strictly forbidden since that is where Lillith and her witches were cast out long ago in a great religious war. But Immanuelle is drawn to those woods and one night she enters them and soon after the plagues are unleashed. It's up to her to find out why and how to stop them. And through this all she begins to question her religious leaders and their intentions....

Fascinating story and world. I'd love to hear more about the world Immanuelle lives in. All that rich history of goddess and god magic and sorcery and visions is exciting and different. I really hope Henderson tells more stories in this world. I do feel the pacing was a bit off in some spots and some of the things that happen seemed a bit unrealistic or brushed over...but it's a small complaint. I can't wait to read more from Alexis Henderson. Fantastic world-building and characters. It was a fun and exciting spooky and feminist-leaning read for Halloween time.

The Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

Published: April 7th, 2020 by Scholastic

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Paranormal

Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

When Lucely and her best friend Syd accidentally cast a spell that summons malicious spirits they must join forces with Syd's with grandma Babbette, her cat Chunk, and Lucely's ancestor ghosts to stop them and save their town St. Augustine.

My son and I really enjoyed the mystery and friendship and folklore all on display here. Chunk was a favorite with both of us. Cutest fat kitty ever! And super helpful. I also really enjoyed Lucely and Syd's friendship. They were supportive and loyal and it felt really genuine. It's also a fun ghost story for Halloween time.

Wonderland by Zoje Stage

Published: July 14th, 2020 by Mulholland Books

Genre: Horror

Format: Hardcover, 354 Pages, Library

Rating: 3 stars

My Thoughts:

I really liked the storyline. The Bennett family is fleeing the New York City way of life to hunker down in the middle of nowhere where the Bennett patriarch will create his artistic masterpieces. But Orla misses everything about her old life where she was a ballet dancer until her injury. When they get to their house in the middle of the woods, everything starts to feel off. Strange weather occurs. Her nine-year-old daughter also feels something strange from a large tree in the back of their property. Even her husband starts to become obsessed with painting this tree. What's this strange force that has taken ahold of her family?

A great premise but the execution wasn't there for me. The story slogged in parts and I felt like one part of the book happened too quickly and didn't know where to go from there. The ending felt a bit rushed but overall it was satisfying. I liked it. It had a great atmosphere and mood and isolation about it that felt creepy. But overall, I didn't love it and wished the pacing was a bit better. I do now want to read her first novel "Baby Teeth," though. She's a great writer and look forward to more from her.

Mini Book Reviews: Mexican Gothic, The Vanishing Half...

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Published: June 30th, 2020 by Del Rey

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction

Format: Kindle, 304 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Noemí Taboada and her father receive a frantic and desperate letter from her newly married cousin who explains that she feels her life and sanity may be in danger. Noemi takes up the task to visit the Mexican high-mountain countryside and find out what's truly going on. As she arrives, though, she is both allured and repulsed by her cousin's Englishman husband, horrified at their father Howard Doyle who is decrepit both of body and mind, and High Place with its damp and fungal appearance and the nightmares she soon begins to dream...Is her cousin mad? What secrets and horrors lie beneath?

Noemi is a fantastic character. She's a socialite but one who thinks for herself and has a self-determination to see things through and get to the bottom of it all. I had to take breaks from the book because it was so disturbing in parts. The mood is dark and dank and damp and oppressive. She covers eugenics and colonialism and misogyny and patriarchy. But it all comes together for quite an ending. Go into this book without knowing much about it. It is a true Gothic horror from a fabulous writer. Near perfection.

Ms. Moreno-Garcia has also shared some highlights and quotes and insights from her book on Goodreads. So go check it out if you are interested in reading this one.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Published: September 1st, 2020 by MacMillman Audio

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, LGBTQIA+

Format: Audiobook, 13 hours, Scribd

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Yadriel's traditional family is having a hard time accepting his gender and therefore they don't think he's a brujo. To prove them wrong he ends up doing the ritual himself alongside his best friend and cousin Maritza. But the ghost he ends up summoning is neighborhood badboy Julian Diaz and not his murdered cousin. But Julian refuses to pass on until he sets a few things right in the real world and Yadriel sets out to help him. But it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems. No one can find Julian's body nor the body of his cousin. It's up to Yadriel, Maritza, and Julian to find out what's really going on.

This is a beautifully written tale of Yadriel coming into his own and accepting who he is. We get to learn all about his culture and el Dia de los Muertos. His relationship with his mother who died a little before the books begins is so poignant. The fraught relationship he has with his father and grandmother who are trying but aren't doing enough to accept him for who he is. And the relationship he begins to have with Julian is also beautiful to watch.

The audiobook was well-performed and enjoyed it all. There is even an interview between the author and the audiobook narrator that is fantastic at the end.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Published: June 2nd, 2020 by Riverhead Books

Genre: Literary Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 343 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Two Black light-skinned twins take two very divergent paths. The Vignes sisters Desiree and Stella runaway as teenagers from their town of light-skinned Blacks. Desiree ends up marrying a Black man who abuses her. Her sister Stella decides to pass as White to live the "American Dream." She ends up marrying her boss and moves away and cuts of her family. Desiree flees her abusive marriage to come back home to Mallard with extremely dark daughter Jude. What happens when we flee our origins and become something different? Does it free us or bind us? Ms. Bennett weaves a beautiful story that lets us experience the answers to these questions.

The book is all about the characters and their experiences. This is a beautifully character-driven novel. Brit Bennett knocks it out of the park again. We need more voices such as hers.

Emma by Jane Austen

Published: April 15th, 2004 by Barnes Noble Classics (Originally published December 23rd, 1815)

Genre: Classic

Format: Paperback, 462 Pages, Own

Rating: 3.5 stars

My Thoughts:

I read Emma for the first time back when the Gwyneth Paltrow adaptation came out in the mid-90s. So it's been awhile. The story always feel fresh because there are so many fun adaptations and retellings out there. But I really wanted to get a sense of Emma again now that I'm older and have seen so many versions of her story. I would have to say Emma is not my favorite but she is a more likeable character than Fanny of Mansfield Park. It's quite the little soap opera drama, actually. All the highjinx of a quiet country town with Emma at the center of it all as the richest and thus classiest citizen in its ranks.

I do enjoy the growth of Emma throughout the novel. From matchmaker of Ms. Taylor to failed matchmaking for her friend Harriet to finding love for others in her community to finally finding her own love. I may try an annotated edition and maybe grab a few more tidbits I know I missed. It's still a fun one to read and I'm sure I'll read it again in a few years. 

Mini Book Reviews: Charlie and the Grandmothers, Pumpkinheads...

Charlie and the Grandmothers by Katy Towell

Published: August 4th, 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy, Horror

Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Charlie and his more adventurous sister soon realize something is very fishy when the kids in their neighborhood start visiting grandparents they've never met and for some reason they never return. So when their mother starts talking of sending them both to visit a pair of grandmothers they've never even heard of, Charlie knows something is wrong. And when they finally get there it's up to him to figure out how to save his sister and save them all.

I really enjoyed this one. We see Charlie grow and step up and figure things out. The grandmothers are super creepy and the world Towell builds is dark and delicious. Both my son and I enjoyed reading this one together in October for a spooky reading month and this one fit the bill.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

Published: August 27th, 2019 by First Second

Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult

Format: Paperback, 209 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Deja and Josiah are best friends while they work at the world's greatest pumpkin patch every fall in Omaha, Nebraska. It's their last night ever working at the pumpkin patch since they're both going off to college next year. Can they make their last shift a night of adventure? Taste all the yummy foods? See all the sights? And maybe even Josiah can finally talk to the girl he's always had a crush on? Who know?

I want to go to this pumpkin patch! It's fictional but it's also based on the real pumpkin patch in Omaha, Nebraska. The illustrations are scrumptious. The characters are adorable. Deja is my favorite! And where their adventure takes them by the end of the night was a place I was super excited about by the end. Perfect fall read to cozy up to and imagine the world as a sane place.

Where the Woods End by Charlotte Salter

Published: August 14th, 2018 by Dial

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy, Horror

Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Kestrel lives in a dark and foreboding forest where no one leaves and the forest and its creatures are not so friendly. Her father hunts wolves and is almost never around. Her mother is an evil witch. And she even let her own grandmother die by a Grabber. Her only friends are a blood-thirsty weasel named Pippit and one boy from the village who lives in the trees. Her only task is hunting the Grabbers and the villagers despise her for it. What happens when her own Grabber comes for her? Can she find a way out of the forest and save herself and the village?

I loved, I mean absolutely loved this dark and twisted fairy tale. It's a true fantasy-horror. Dark things happen to Kestrel and her family. The way Kestrel makes mistakes and learns from them is truly heart-warming. It's dark but it's full of hope. There are so many questions and there aren't a lot of answers but that's what makes a fantastic world. Not everything is explained but that's OK. You can imagine something or just dive into this creepy and horrible world but it makes sense and it's well-built. And then you throw in some great characters and you have an almost perfect combination. Both my son and I adored this book. It's perfect for Halloween, fall, winter time to just curl up and read.

Nightbooks by J.A. White

Published: July 24th, 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy, Horror

Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Alex gathers his nightbooks and heads down to the basement of his apartment building in order to destroy them but the elevator doesn't stop at the basement; it stops a few floors up. He wonders over to some sounds and lights flickering and notices that his favorite movie "Night of the Living Dead" is playing on TV. He just can't resist. He asks the lady in the apartment if he can watch with her and as soon as he steps inside...It's a trap. The witch Natacha has kidnapped him she needs his scary stories to keep her magical apartment working. Together with Yasmin, another kidnapped child, they must figure out how to escape.

My son and I loved the creepy factor. It's a retelling of the Scheherazade story from Arabian Nights and we get to hear all sorts of creepy short stories. It also weaves lots of writing how-tos and how to get rid of writer's block. So it's great for budding writers! We also get some Grimm Fairy Tales as well and it all comes together at the end. Another fantastic find for the Halloween season.

Mini Book Reviews: What Language Is, Lies My Teacher Told Me

What Language Is: And What it Isn't and What It Could Be by John McWhorter

Published: August 4th, 2011 by Gotham Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Language

Format: Hardcover, 228 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

McWhorter takes us through the crazy and the zany of language. He talks a lot about how languages tha are learned by adults because of conquering/colonization, etc, and that are then passed down to their children will inevitably become more simplified as time goes on. Languages that are not usually learned by adults tend to stay really difficult to outsiders. Makes sense but you don't really think about it until he talks about it. He gives tons of examples from around the world. McWhorter really shines when it comes to pidgins and creoles; how they are formed and how they stick around.

Linguistics is my jam and I love reading more about it when I can. My only complaint (and to be fair he acknowledges this in the book) is that his writing style is like he was giving a speech or a lecture in class. It's very oral. So maybe listen to it rather than read it. I also love his Great Courses classes and this book feels just like one of those!

Languages are messy, just like humans, which makes them so much fun to study and learn about!

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong by James Loewen 

Published: October 14th, 1995 by Gotham Books

Genre: Nonfiction, History

Format: Paperback, 464 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

This is a fantastic look at how history is taught/has been taught in the U.S. Loewen takes us through some big myths of U.S. history from Thanksgiving and Christopher Columbus to recent history like the Vietnam War and 9/11. He also explains how America itself is a mythical figure and how our history we learn in high school is a myth-making, bland, and inaccurate history. To be informed citizens we need to know our history. We can't make change unless we know where we've come from in order to see where we need to go.

This was released 25 years ago when I was in high school. I can vouch that my history textbooks did not teach accurate history. It was bland and boring and inaccurate. I didn't start on my journey of learning more accurate history until about 2010. So it's been a fast and furious crash course. I have learned about some of these things in other ways but the thing that's so fantastic about this book is it's all together. History does come alive in his hands and I wish we could come together as a country and really face our history, learn, and learn from and continue to grow.

This is a must-read book in high school and beyond.

Mini Book Reviews: Solutions and Other Problems, Tunnel of Bones...

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

Published: October 10th, 2020 by Alfred A. Knopf

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Format: Paperback, 519 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

The series gets a solid 4 stars for me. But this particular book was very slow in the beginning. But it picked up halfway through and carried us on. But I'll be honest I did not like the ending as much as I was hoping. It felt like Pullman didn't quite know how to end such a grand series and world and so it just kind of felt like hmmmf. Also, the implication of how one's daemon might not change anymore was not great. He never said for everyone but that was implied. The implications of that are a bit harried and I don't think he thought much about it beyond his characters.

But despite those misgivings it's a fantastic series. So very clever, full of philosophy about life and death and religion and power and agency. It's a true classic and am so glad I read it with G. We had lots to discuss.

The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir by Michele Harper

Published: July 7th, 2020 by Riverhead Books

Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction, Medicine

Format: Audiobook, 7 hours, 46 minutes, Library

Rating: 3.5 stars

My Thoughts:

I really liked this one. She has a very unique perspective has a Black woman physician working in emergency medicine. Her childhood was heartbreaking and her desire to heal her patients is truly inspirational. She doesn't shy away from microaggressions at work or with patients.

I also found inspirational the ways she was able to heal herself so she could go on trying to heal others. She maintained healthy boundaries with her abusive father but always with the option of healing and forgiving on her own terms.

The only thing that brought it down was the way she talked about holistic healing in conjunction with medicine. While I agree a lot that if everyone had access to basic medical care and could make a living wage with one job this would be a good way to help people manage their stress and take care of themselves. But it felt a little bit like because I can do it (meditate, yoga retreats, acupuncture, self care top priority outside of work) then anyone can. Maybe she actually wouldn't say that, I doubt she would but that is what it felt like to me. If she had talked about how these things helped her personally and kept it at that I would have found it more appealing and honest.

But overall, it's a beautiful memoir and her experiences are priceless. I also listened to the author read the book and she did great! I highly recommend the audio.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Published: July 14th, 2020 by Gallery/Saga Press

Genre: Horror

Format: Kindle, 310 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a trip! I loved it. The only thing I didn't love was how little I got to know some of the characters before the end. Take Lewis. I felt like he focused the most on him. And his horror story was the most twisted of all but it's only in the first half. But the ending is spot on and made everything come together. It's a gory and twisted and yet hopeful and poignant story. Even if horror isn't your thing I still feel like this is one to read. Jones an American Indian and he knows how to weave this tale that brings race, land, and colonialism all into view. 

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

Published: September 3rd, 2019 by Scholastic Press

Genre: Horror, Juvenile Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Cassidy Blake series. The first was in Edenborough, Scotland and this one is in Paris! The catacombs take front and center and are they ever creepy. Cassidy and best friend Jacob (who's a ghost) want to keep out of trouble as they tour the Catacombs but Cassidy accidentally disturbs a poltergeist, a ghost who's forgotten who he or she is. They're more powerful and you need to get them to remember who they are and how they died before you can send them on to the "light."

I loved reading about Cassidy in Paris and how she worked through the mystery of the poltergeist. It's a sad tale and we find out more about Jacob as well. Schwab always handles the tough stuff with aplomb. 

G also read this one. He couldn't remember the first one from last year so he read that one and then this one. Loved them both and can't wait til the third one comes out in March. He also hopes the next one will feature more of Grim their fluffy black cat!

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

Published: September 22nd, 2020 by Gallery Books

Genre: Graphic Novel, Funny, Nonfiction, Memoir

Format: Hardcover, 518 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Allie Brosh keeps it raw, real and humorous. I haven't read something that makes me so sad and happy at the same time. She writes about the death of her sister and it's truly devastating. But it's also real and vulnerable. We've all been there with those who have died before their time and we love them.

Her story about her sister and her sister's best friend is disturbing and beautiful. We get to hear about the Hammer Guy next door and how she takes revenge! And guided meditation and the employees at the grocery store will never be the same for me again!

If you loved her first one you'll love this one. And if you haven't read Hyperbole and a Half go get it now and then this one. You're welcome.

Mini Book Reviews: Riot Baby and Through the Woods

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

Published: January 21st, 2020 by Tor

Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy

Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages, Library

Rating: 4.5 stars

My Thoughts:

This is a poignant look at what could happen if a power is born out of destruction and trauma. Specifically, Black Americans' trauma of police violence, school-to-prison-pipeline, etc. Ella has a power that begins to consume her. She can see people's futures; how they die and when. She soon begins to exhibit even more power. Can she save her brother Kev who's been sent to Riker's island awaiting trail for years with no conviction?

Onyebuchi has a way with words and imagery. Some of the transitional story elements were hard to follow but it's a powerful book and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Published: July 15th, 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Horror, Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Short Stories

Format: Paperback, 208 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Ms. Carroll takes us through the woods via various stories. And they are horrific and creepy! Some were a little ambiguous so it was hard to know exactly what happened but I think that adds to the horror, honestly. G read it right before bet one night and had a hard time getting to sleep. I read it the next night and also found my thoughts a bit disturbed before bed.

The illustrations are also terrifying and gorgeous. 

I almost wanted more stories and more of the story, which is why it doesn't get a full five from me. But these are a great collection of terrifying stories. They almost remind me of "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."

*read this as part of the Frightfall Read-a-thon over at Seasons of Reading.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Published: July 7th, 2020 by Bloomsbury YA

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Cinderella has been dead for 200 years. But her story has been turned into a mythology for the totalitarian regime of King Manford and his "ancestors." Women have no power. And teens must attend an annual ball and have a man pick them to be his wife or risk becoming a "forfeit." Forfeits are not seen again. 

Enter Sophia. She's Black and a lesbian. She loves her best friend Erin but they can't be open about their relationship. The ball is coming soon and her parents are doing everything they can to get her a husband. Sophia is not one to follow along. On the night of the ball she flees the castle. She ends up at Cinderella's tomb and encounters Constance...she reminds me of Merida from "Brave." Constance is a descendent of Gabrielle, one of Cinderella's stepsisters. She tells Sophia the true story of Cinderella and how her family has been maligned in order to control the narrative and keep Lille under the rule of King Manford and his family.

They set out to find the "fairy godmother" and find out how to defeat King Manford and save their people.

I love the characters. I wish we could get to know them a bit more, though. The books is quick and some things suffer for it. The world-building is pretty nonexistent. It only serves to set the characters on their way. I wish we could have explored Sophia and Constance's relationship a bit more as well. I enjoy their budding romance but I wanted more.

The plot was a bit simplistic but it was what I needed right now. Stamp out the patriarchy! A Black lesbian punches it in the nuts with her lover! Yes please. It's not a perfect story but it's fun and flirty and full of energy.

Here's another cover for this book and I love it! 

Mini Book Reviews: Fiction: Lovecraft Country, Sword of Summer

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff 

Published: February 16th, 2016 by Harper

Genre: Horror, Fantasy

Format: Ebook, 329 Pages, Scribd

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I read one short story of H.P. Lovecraft a few years ago. And I've heard of the mythos of Lovecraft with Cthulu the Elder God, etc but I didn't really become interested until I learned what a racist he was. I read The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle a couple of years ago which turns a very racist short story by Lovecraft on its head. I loved that idea. And that brings us to Lovecraft Country. Matt Ruff wanted to combine the horror of everyday racism combined with actual supernatural horror and base it all on one of the most racist horror writers ever. It's a fantastic combination. Each chapter is a mini adventure that each member of this diverse family goes through. Atticus, Letitia, Ruby, Horace, Hyppolyta, George and Montrose. And some of these stories are freaky. The one with Horace and the Devil Doll. Super creepy.

And I will recommend the HBO version that's airing now. Now you can take a great idea and run with it. Bring on a diverse writing staff and directing staff and you get some of the best television out there. Go read and watch!

*read this as part of the Frightfall Read-a-thon over at Seasons of Reading.

Magnus chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Published: October 6th, 2015 by Disney-Hyerion Books

Genre: Fantasy, Juvenile

Format: Paperback, 499 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Magnus Chase is a homeless teenager trying to survive on the streets of Boston and mourning the death of his mother. He's got a couple of guys who help lookout for him and some long-lost uncles and a cousin too. Soon a fire demon finds him and all hell breaks loose. He summons a sword and dies and ends up in Valhalla. He soon discovers he's a son of the god Frey and has the power to bring on the armageddon of Ragnarok or find a way to keep Fenris the wolf tied up and the worlds safe for another day. Along the way he befriends Samirah, and Blitzen and Hearthstone. All are prepped and ready to help.

I really liked this one. It brings the Norse myths and gods to life with likeable characters and of course lots of silly humor. My son has been enjoying the series and I am too.

Mini Book Reviews: Non-fiction: Too Much and Never Enough, The Dream of Reason, When Stars Are Scattered

Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L.  Trump

Published: July 14th, 2020 by Simon & Schuster

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Psychology

Format: Kindle, 236 Pages, Own

Rating: 3.5 stars

My Thoughts:

I really liked Mary Trump's analysis and her interactions with her uncle through her young years. But it wasn't as well-written as I would have liked. She repeats a lot of the same ideas throughout. I feel like it could've been an ever shorter book. But overall, I found her insights and her own interactions and that of her mother and father ever more disturbing. This is not a well family. And who Trump is and how he's become this way is more disturbing that I could imagine. It's definitely an important book to read and understand where we are today.

The Dream of Reason: A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance by Anthony Gottlieb

Published: August 30th, 2016 by W.W. Norton Company

Genre: Nonfiction, History, Philosophy

Format: Paperback, 512 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Anthony Gottlieb takes us on a journey of Western philosophy from the Greeks all the way to the Renaissance. He's a great writer and most of the chapters were humorous and down-to-earth in layman's terms. I was fascinated how he brought their ideas and how others through time have morphed their ideas into their own. I never knew how it was quite done and his book allowed me to see those changes and ideas come together. Fascinating stuff. My friend and I had a great time reading this one together and discussing all the ideas. So if you are interested even a little bit in philosophy, I highly recommend Gottlieb's series. We'll be on to the next one soon.

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Published: April 14th, 2020 by Dial Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Juvenile, Memoir, Graphic Novel

Format: Paperback, 264 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Omar lives with his little brother Hassan and his guardian Fatuma in a refugee camp in Kenya. They had to flee Somalia after war broke out and his father was killed and they were separated from their mother. He goes into great detail about the struggles of daily life in the camp. From waiting in long lines for water every day to taking care of his brother with disabilities. It's hot and food is on short supply. They can't leave the camps because they are not Kenyan citizens and they can't return home because they'll be killed.

He eventually attends school, meets friends, stays true to his faith, and keeps hope alive that him and his brother will be able to relocate to the United States and find their mother. It takes a village and many other kids and teachers, a UN worker, especially, help along the way.

It's just heartbreaking. People are born, growup, and can die in a refugee camp. Eventually he and Hassan are relocated to Arizona and he's able to get help for Hassan and go to college. But so many don't get to.

Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

Published: April 21st, 2020 by Crown Publishing Group (NY)

Genre: Nonfiction, History, Current Events

Format: Kindle, 272 Pages, Own

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

Eddie S. Glaude Jr. writes a much-needed book on how we can begin again and keeping moving forward despite all the steps back. And what better way to do this than with the words and life of James Baldwin.

James Baldwin "...saw, and felt deeply, the effects of America's betrayal of the black freedom struggle of the mid-twentieth century: The country had refused once again, to turn its back on racism and to reach for its better angels..." And here the country sits at the brink do we refuse once again to learn about the foundations of this country? Do we refuse to acknowledge and the cries of Black people and people of color, for their cries of acknowledgement and change? "A moral reckoning is upon us, and we have to decide, once and for all, whether or not we will truly be a multiracial democracy."

Glaude takes us on his journey as he thinks about Baldwin's life and works. It's a bit memoir, biography, and literary criticism and history all rolled into one. The pain is real as we see major steps forward and huge reckoning starting with the civil rights movement of the mid-twentieth century but how once again America turns its back on learning and growing and reconciliation. We end up getting Nixon and Reagan and major steps back with the war on drugs and mass incarceration, which has disproportionately affected Black Americans and people of color.

"Revealing the lie at the heart of the American idea, however, occasions an opportunity to tell a different and better story...Not everything his lost. Responsibility cannot be lost, it can only be abdicated. If one refuses abdications, one begins again."

And thus how Glaude takes us through Baldwin's America (which is our America) and his hopes, despair, and reconciliation with America then and how we can like Baldwin did begin again.

Through his book I've also discovered more insights into Baldwin than I ever thought I could know. More of his writings, interviews, documentaries about him, letters, and journals dedicated to analyzing everything he wrote was brought to my attention. Can't wait to dive in.

Mini Book Reviews: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Devolution

 

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Published: September 5th, 2017 by Sterling Children's Books

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Format: Ebook, 262 Pages, Scribd

Rating: 4.5 stars

My Thoughts:

Aven is a middle schooler with some different abilities. She can do almost anything with her feet since she was born without arms. Her life is good. She's got friends who understand her and a life that she's used to...until her parents uproot their lives to Arizona in order to manage a run-down desert and cowboy theme park. That means a new school and new people who don't know her and aren't used to her amazing abilities. Along the way she meets some other differently-abled friends and they set out to solve a mystery about the park and her past.

I read this aloud with Gabe and we both enjoyed it immensely. Aven is hilarious! She faces life's obstacles with humor and insight while making mistakes along the way. It's a great book that talks about people who are differently-abled and what some of their experiences both good and bad and in between are as they interact with humans in this crazy world. 

The Shadows by Alex North

Published: July 7th, 2020 by Celadon Books

Genre: Horror, Crime Thriller

Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I loved most of this book. It was super creepy. It had a great atmosphere. This one takes place in the same world as "The Whisper Man" that North wrote last year, I think. The same detective comes to town to investigate. It's a really creepy premise that ends up being pretty lackluster, unfortunately. The ending was a bit of a letdown. But overall, I'm enjoying the worlds Mr. North puts down. I look forward to the next one.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

Published: October 22nd, 2019 by Oni Press

Genre: Graphic Novel, Supernatural, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQIA

Format: Paperback, 256 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a fun supernatural fantasy with witches, ghosts, demons, and werewolves. Throw in some romance between the two fantastic leads and it's quite a fun story. The illustrations were pretty and detailed as well. I look forward to more in this series.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

Published: April 2nd, 2019 by Versify

Genre: Children, Poetry, History

Format: Hardcover, 40 Pages, Library

Rating: 5 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a beautiful book to read out loud with Gabe. We learned so much about many diverse Black artists, activists, athletes, musicians, writers, etc. Alexander had little bios of each person in the back we were able to read after the book. The illustrations are gorgeous. This is a must-read for all ages.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

Published: June 16th, 2020 by Del Rey Books

Genre: Horror, Sci-fi

Format: Hardcover, 286 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

This was a really fun book. It's very similar to World War Z but not as long or detailed, and a little more tongue-in-cheek, I think. But the brother of Kate Holland hires a reporter to look into her mysterious disappearance after Mt. Rainier explodes and chaos ensues in her little commune of Greenloop, Washington. Looks like Bigfoot and her brood are chased out of the mountains and attack Holland and her group. We get her firsthand account with the reporter adding in details about sasquatch and its many myths, and park rangers, and Kate's brother. I also enjoyed Brooks' social and political commentary, which is very relevant. Overall, it's a quick, fun read. Just what I needed right now.

Mini Book Reviews: Stamped, Giovanni's Room...

Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Published: March 10th, 2020 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, History, Non-fiction

Format: Hardcover, 294 Pages, Own

Rating: 4.5 stars

My Thoughts:

Jason Reynolds adapted Ibram X. Kendi's award-winning history book Stamped from the Beginning into a book for young adults. That book is almost 600 pages! So that's quite the condensing. Reynolds turns it into more of a dialogue about history and race and how it's all connected. Black history is American history. My son was probably a little too young for some of it since he didn't quite get some of the references. And the book came off very sarcastic--which makes sense if you're talking to someone face to face. That style will work most of the time but sometimes it felt a bit off. But I think it's an excellent book to start to understand, especially for young people, America's true history. There are lots of references and other sites to check out in the back. I'm also still working through Kendi's history book. Gabe and me had some excellent discussions. America needs to change how it teaches and discusses and talks about our history. We can't know how we got here if we don't truly understand what has happened.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

Published: 1956

Genre: Modern Classic

Format: Kindle, 178 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Baldwin writes a beautiful and thoughtful novel on what it means to be gay and black in a world that doesn't really accept either, and especially not together. Giovanni's room haunts him and as us. Paris has never felt more sad or closed and encroaching than in this story.

"And these nights were being acted out under a foreign sky, with on one to watch, no penalties attached--it was this last fact which was our undoing, for nothing is more unbearable, once one has it, than freedom."

"Their decisions are not really decisions at all--a real decision makes one humble, one knows that it is at the mercy of more things than can be named--but elaborate systems of evasion, of illusion, designed to make themselves and the world appear to be what they and the world are not."

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Published: October 11th, 2016 by Riverhead Books

Genre: Literary Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages, Library

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

We follow Nadia Turner from high school as she loses her mother to suicide and the consequences that follow. The themes throughout are about motherhood and what it means to choose or not choose to be a mother. We learn more about Nadia's mother and what made her tick. How her life changed when she became pregnant with Nadia. What if she hadn't kept her? Where would her mother be?

It's a short but powerful story. I look forward to her next one.

"...Upper Room had encircled the wailing mother and held her up, soundlessly, because hard deaths resist words. A soft death can be swallowed with Called home to be with the Lord or We'll see her again in glory, but hard deaths get caught in the teeth like gristle."

"We see the span of her life unspooling in colorful threads and we chase it, wrapping it around our hands as more tumbles out. She's her mother's age now. Double her age. Our age You're our mother. We're climbing inside of you."

A Kid's Guide to Native American History: More Than 50 Activities by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

Published: November 1st, 2009 by Chicago Review Press

Genre: Juvenile, Non-fiction, History

Format: Kindle, 256 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I read this out loud with Gabe. We've been diving into history together and this one talks about each Nation in the Americas. Culture, history, famous people. There are activities to do at the end of each chapter and lots of resources to learn more. I thought it was an excellent introduction to Native American history which is also American history.

Morning Girl by Michael Dorris

Published: 1990 

Genre: Juvenile, Historical Fiction

Format: Paperback, 80 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

Dorris does a fantastic job of letting us experience Morning Girl, Star Boy, and their people on the Caribbean Islands before Columbus arrived and murdered them all. Gabe and I were both sad to learn about Michael Dorris' life. He died a few years after he wrote this book.

No Cats Allowed by Miranda James

Published: February 23rd, 2016 by Berkley

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Format: Paperback, 275 Pages, Own

Rating: 2 stars

My Thoughts:

I shouldn't be too hard on it but it was one of the more poorly written cozy mysteries I've read in awhile. This is number 7 in the series and I haven't read any others. But like a good cozy, you don't need to. The author catches us up on anything we need to know in various ways. The mystery is OK, nothing out of the ordinary. But I didn't like the protagonist. He's a do-gooder with no personality. His kids have no personalities. And it takes place in the south with some benevolent racism thrown in. Meh. Plus the cover has a tabby cat but his cat is a Maine Coon cat so false advertising. Even his girlfriend was someone he only talked to over the phone and it's all very chaste. I know there is an audience for super clean cozy mysteries, but I am not that audience. I got this as a gift so I just wanted to read something easy peasie. It wasn't good but it was OK.

The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp

Published: March 10th, 2020 by DC Comics

Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Mystery

Format: Paperback, 208 Pages, Librart

Rating: 4 stars

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one. It takes place in Batman's world. Commissioner Gordon's daughter is the ultimate hacker until one night she gets shot and her world changes forever. She ends up in a rehabilitation center where she hears voices in the walls and patients disappear overnight. It's a compelling mystery and it looks like the story will continue in more comics.